Navalny says he pays back Russia for house-arrest bracelet

MOSCOW (AP) — Leading Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny says he has paid the state for the electronic bracelet that he cut off to protest his house arrest.

Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and vehement foe of President Vladimir Putin, was convicted in late December of fraud and given a 3 ½-year suspended sentence. But the court said he must remain under house arrest until his appeals are exhausted.

Navalny claims that's illegal and earlier this month he said he had sawed off the device monitoring his house arrest.

On Wednesday, he left home to speak on Ekho Moskvy radio, saying he had paid the federal prison service the 670 rubles ($10) he owed for the ruined bracelet.

"When they put the electronic bracelet on me, I signed a receipt," he explained.